scrapinmema

Most of my quilts are given as gifts. Will ask what colors they have in their rooms i.e. living room, family room, bedroom, guest room and I pick the fabric and pattern . So far I've been fortunate that the person loves what I have given them and they are using it, but I've been lucky and only give to family and close friends and they have all indicated they would like something. I also do quilts for charity and they are what ever I want to make.

Quiltngolfer

Usually before I finish a quilt one of my kids or grandkids asks for it. I have made specific quilts for my kids. I always ask them if they like the fabric or pattern before I give it to them. I never have trouble giving them away. I worried about giving one to my MIL because I had never seen her use a quilt. I made her a lap quilt for her birthday, and she uses it every day. I was so happy she liked it. I backed it with fleece. My little granddaughters love quilts. They have asked for several and I give them to them. I never saw them out, so I asked my DIL about them. She didn't want them to ruin the pretty quilts. I told her to let them have the quilts because they were made to use. I can make more. She got them out and let them use them on their beds. Now the girls and I are all happy. If the lady sells the quilt in a yard sale, someone will get it and be thrilled with the find. Eventually all quilts will find a happy home and be loved.

Doggramma

I usually plan quilts for myself. Sometimes a pattern or fabric will make me think of someone, then I'll make a quilt for that person. Not all of my quilts have been well-received, so I'm more picky about who gets a quilt these days. I don't usually ask first. Recently, however, I did ask because I wanted to make quilts for 2 little people in the family. I was told by the mom "great! She likes Hello Kitty and he likes Monster University." So I was kind of sorry I asked first. I prefer to give quilts that can be loved for years. These kind of themes seem only appropriate for young children.

Sewnoma

I'm lucky - both of my grandmothers were quilters so my entire family was raised with an abundance of homemade quilts. Nobody else in my family is a quilter now, and both grandmothers have passed away, so there are a lot of people in my family who are missing getting quilts made with love.

So my quilts have been greeted with an abundance of love and excitement, at least the ones I've given within my own family. They all "get it", and all my aunts & uncles (on both sides) have lots of fond memories of watching their moms make quilts. Every time it comes up at a gathering I'm told over how glad everybody is that someone in the family became a quilter to keep up the tradition (again, on both sides!) We're a sentimental bunch. I honestly can't make quilts fast enough, I have a mountain of fabric cut from my grandma's handmade dresses that I'm working on turning into quilts for each of my aunts & uncles on that side of the family...but there were 30 dresses, and she had six children. That's a lot of quilts that I need to get done!

toverly

That's a mean spirited comment to the maker of the quilt. If she didn't care for it, she shouldn't have purchased a ticket. If I was at that Garage sale I would thank my lucky stars that someone was dumb enough not to like it. Hopefully, someone who purchased it loved it.

orangeroom

Depends on the reason for making the quilt. I have a very picky friend who wanted me to make her a quilt. I told her if she financed it, I'd do it. She said just make me a quilt. "Oh no, my picky friend! You choose the quilt and fabrics. Then I'll make you one." That way she knew all along how much it was costing, directly out of her wallet, not mine! She loves it.

I've made many baby quilts. I've only struggled with one, trying to make sure I chose the right design for the recipients. She was very private, so it was more difficult for me to decide on the correct quilt design. In the end she said it was perfect.

joe'smom

I'm curious as to how people reacted, if you care to elaborate.

Dina

I have only made quilts for friends or relatives who had a say-so in the pattern and the fabric. For the friends, they paid for the fabric. This way I knew the folks would like the quilt when they got it since it was all stuff they selected and/or paid for. I have made 3 quilts just by email. I emailed patterns I felt comfortable making, and after one was selected, my friends either bought the fabric and mailed it to me or guided me (lots of pictures in emails) in fabric selection. It is much easier to take a friend or relative shopping for fabric, but distance doesn't always make that possible. Once I took four friends to find fabric, and they decided to all receive the quilts at the same time, like a big "reveal" on TV. That was fun.

These methods work well for me because I am TERRIBLE at selecting fabric. I am so indecisive that it is ridiculous!!

Dina

Boston1954

I guess that I have been very lucky, because I pretty well know the tastes of the people that I give my quilts to. My sis loves purple, hubby Jim loves blue. It's what happens when I'm gone that concerns me. I have planned to let my family get my quilts in a lottery type drawing. I wonder if they will understand the amount of love and work that went into them.

Doggramma

I say "not well received" meaning that I've never seen them out when I visit and I've not seen the babies or children ever using them. Nor have a few adults ever mentioned the quilt again, ever. And I don't give quilts worthy of putting away "for good." To clarify, no one has ever come out and said they don't like the quilt. But you can tell from a person's reaction whether they like it/love it or whether they're just being polite by saying oh thanks.

Now when I give a quilt, I'm sure to go on and on about how I loved making it for them and how many loving thoughts went into the making. People seem to respond positively to the love!